Cerrato Will Show You His Super Bowl Rings

I've been joking about this Burgundy Revolution thing, because it's a decent enough gimmick. And indeed, some of the rhetoric spilling out from The People has included the timeless themes you always hear at the barricades: solidarity, and speaking truth to power, and finding strength in numbers. So naturally, the royalists are responding in kind, with the rhetoric of the ruling class.

Like what? Well, like accusing the wordsmiths of being outsiders who are manipulating The People for their own personal agendas. Or accusing the Revolution's agitators of actually being double agents working for the enemy.

"I really believe there are some Dallas Cowboy fans who have infiltrated the community," he said, "and almost like a virus, have been spreading the seed of hate. But a win might just kill that seed."

Maybe he was joking. I'm not sure. But he definitely wasn't joking when he started discussing this week's Sally Jenkins column, which apparently might as well have been written in pig's blood by Trotsky or Che.

"You can take any type of legitimate criticism that is thrown your way," Michael told Vinny Cerrato during that same episode of Redskins Nation. "I've known this man for about 25 years--we're getting old Vinny--way back to the days at Notre Dame. But you know what, it really bothers me when someone from out of town, someone who is not from this community, takes a low blow, cheap shot at this man right here, as well as the organization. Because if you're here every day, you see how hard, the work that's being put in, and you know what's going behind this.

"And yes, the team COULD play better. But the cheap shots, the low blows, and almost a vicious personal attack that I see in the paper from someone that IS not in this community, it bothers me. It really bothers me. Why don't you show up once in a while? Maybe these folks who write these articles come and go, but the venom that is there is so personal. You wonder what the motivation is when you see a column like that with a personal, low blow attack at Vinny Cerrato. What do you think? I don't even, is that a question I just asked you? I don't know. It just bothers me when I see that type of reporting."

"Oh, no doubt about that," Michael said approvingly. "And I guess the fact that you HAVE had some success proves that you're a failure. I mean, it makes no sense to me. It makes no sense to me. But anyway Vinny, thank you so much for stopping by."

"Maybe she wants to come on the radio show and talk about it?" Cerrato wondered.

Good Grief. I don't wish anything bad on Larry Michael. I really don't. I wish him continued success....IN ANOTHER CITY! God I hate hearing that guy's voice. How does he sleep at night? Has he no conscience? How can he yammer on and on...incessantly spewing propaganda? Granted, he tried to be creative and funny here....but enough is enough. Even the King George Michael finally broke down and laid into these guys and nobody was in the tank more than he was (except Larry Michael.)

I'm no Dallas fan, God knows. But Dallas hasn't cared about the Skins in years. Philly, yes. Giants, yes. But not the Skins. As I recall (I was living in NYC then), when Parcells coached the Giants, the Giants were the deal to Dallas; Washington was an afterthought. And the Body Bag Bowl was between Buddy's Eagles and the Cowboys.

Win a few, Vinny. Then maybe the Skins will matter again in the division. Until then, not so much.

(As for Vinny's rings -- everyone on staff gets one when you win. The staff rings are different than the rings you get when you were the coach or owner or player. the guy who drove the team van probably got a staff ring. Someone should ask Vinny that next time...)

You have to remember that Larry is on the payroll of Snyder, so there is definite bias there. I won't watch Redskins Nation because Larry doesn't say it like it is, and quite frankly, it is nothing more than a kiss-butt show. I wish Brian Mitchell hosted that show.

Cerrato may be a good friend to Synder and an all-around decent guy, but he does need a dose of reality. His Super Bowl rings were from San Fran. Let's see: Walsh, Montana, Rice...Cerrato? Not exactly four names you here in the same sentence. I am sure he contributed, but he was by no means a major catalyst in the team's successes.

Cerrato has made a couple good finds (i.e. Horton) but he shouldn't be give too much credit for his first round picks, as in most cases, they are no-brainers. Rather, he should be judged by his later round picks. Wasting 3 picks in the second round last year was just foolish. We could have possibly picked up two starting O-linemen with those picks. Until we get a good o-line, we will continue to struggle, no matter who is running-catching-throwing the ball.

I accidentally caught some of Larry Michael on Redskins Nation, Thursday. Somehow I was still shocked he said "I really believe there are some Dallas Cowboy fans who have infiltrated the community and almost like a virus, have been spreading the seed of hate. But a win might just kill that seed." I immediately changed channels after that.

Cerrato has made a couple good finds (i.e. Horton) but he shouldn't be give too much credit for his first round picks, as in most cases, they are no-brainers.

Posted by: gwelsh | October 2, 2009 11:28 PM | Report abuse

I know you aren't on Cerrato's side, but I just wanted to point out that all his apologeticas immediately point to Horton as a sign of his drafting genius... but no one points out that he got benched this week. What about the complete and utter busts of the last couple years? Cody Glenn... are you kidding me?? that punter from last year? There are rookies this year who have done more in 1 game than all of our 2nd round pick dudes in their entire careers combined.

It couldn't possibly be because the fanbase is legitimately disgusted at THEM. Clearly it's all part of a vast dallas conspiracy. Damn those Cowboys fans who singlehandedly caused the burgundy revolution!

Vinny you have ONE superbowl ring, working with a roster you had ZERO control over

You know it's sad when the paid shills of Snyder come on the air (that Snyder owns) and defend him and Vinny like the Baghdad Bob.

Now you've got the loyal minions of Snyder, like the many blind homer blogs, the Extremeskins posse, etc. They are shooting the messenger big time, calling Sally an evil hag (among other things). They're defending Dan Caesar to the death.

Larry Michael is just another proof that this organization needs big BIG changes. Cerrato is a winner ? Since when ? Larry Michael should ask around the league if Cerrato is seen as a winner.

"I really believe there are some Dallas Cowboy fans who have infiltrated the community,". Lol , good Michael. On sunday against the Bucs when 90 000 fans will show you what they think about OUR team will you say they are all Coboys fans ? Those guys are a joke .

Calling Cerrato a "proven failure" is a personal attack regardless of what you think of Cerrato's managerial record with the Redskins. He did win a national championship with Notre Dame and a Super Bowl with the 49ers.

I am a third generation Washingtonian and I agree with everything that Sally Jennings said the other day. Snyder and Cerrato are a joke and have destroyed this franchise.
Larry can shove his feigned indignation right up his caboose.

I am shocked...simply shocked...to hear people so hateful of Cerrato and Michael.

Seriously, the amount of propaganda (not just PR) coming from Redskins Park is amazing. I tried to watch Redskins Nation on Friday night and had to change channels once they read the viewer e-mail. How insecure are you when the first one spends at least a paragraph going on about a good job everyone is doing and how much they like hearing Larry on the radio and TV giving the straight scoop on the Redskins?

I cannot believe that a media town like DC has ZERO programming that tries to present some degree of balance about this team. The postgame show on CSN can be pretty good, especially when B-Mitch gets on a roll, but the rest is simply unwatchable and almost makes me dislike the team more.

If you look at the Redskins record since Snyder bought the team and Cerrato was brought on to make personnel decisions, I can't help but wonder how anyone can't agree with what Sally Jenkins wrote in her column. We're terrible! I'm a Skins season ticket holder (at least for now) and love the team....but let's face it, we're bad...very bad. What difference is there between the Skins and teams like the Browns, Rams and Raiders? Very little. Our record over the last 10 years is right there with theirs. How Snyder and Cerrato can't see that and don't make changes to get better is beyond me. The Skins do things totally different from the better managed teams in the league, like the Steelers, Pats, Ravens, etc. Let's face it, the team has turned into a perennial loser. I see no light at the end of the tunnel because Snyder is never going to change. Pain!

Wow. That interview or discussion between Cerrato and Larry almost sounded like Larry Michaels was going to go under the table and give Cerrato a headjob. What a transparent and non-objective check collector Michaels is.

I guess robbing Herzog of his job will not allow Larry to be objective any longer.

I've been a 'Skins fan for 28 years. I've never lived in/around DC. I've had to follow the goings on through print media (back in the day), ESPN, Sunday pregame shows and, for the last 10 years the net.

I guess you could say I have an "outsiders" view of the team.

I've never been a Snyder backer. IMO almost every decision he's made has been wrong. I don't pretend know the inner workings of running an NFL organization, but simple business 101 dictates..."You are only as good as your weakest employee." That being said, wouldn't it stand to reason you would bring in the best at the top, so you can build a successful organization?

The simple reason the 'Skins have not been successful is, Snyder does not run the organization as a business...he runs it like it's a hobby - and it painfully shows!

I've taken much heat from other 'Skins fans for my very vocal criticism of Snyder and Cerrato, and their mis-handling of this organization.

I don't live in a fantasy land, I live in the real world, and so does Sally Jenkins. Her article was dead on, and that's why there is such a venomous backlash against her, and the ridiculous insinuations about "enemy infiltration".

As Jenkins put it...accountability starts at the top. Until Snyder mans up and starts to accept a good deal of the blame for the failures of the organization NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE!

My take on Vinny is that he has made some good moves like Jeremy Jarmin in the supplemental draft and picking Horton and Marko Mitchell late in the draft. This is tempered by mystifying moves like trading for Jason Taylor and not drafting an offensive lineman this year. To sum him up, he makes good moves but just not enough of them, and when he stinks he really stinks. If he was a player - every week upon a stage for God and all to see - he would have been cut long ago.

The problem with this assessment of Vinny is we just don't know when Vinny is making the call or when he's just moving his lips while Dan Snyder is doing the talking. I get the feeling that Vinny gets the blame for a lot of decisions made by the boss, but he has never come out and said that. If nothing else, we can take pot shots at him for being a spineless weasel who won't stand up to his boss, but how can we really hate Vinny for that when many of us would be spineless weasels by the same definition? As the saying goes, the boss isn't always right but he is always the boss, right? Vinny likes taking home a paycheck just as much as the rest of us, I am sure.

All I really know is this: there has to be someone who is responsible for all of the bad personnel decisions, and Vinny sits in the seat that on other teams is ultimately accountable. So, we throw darts at him, and hope the next guy will make better decisions or at least be fired for standing up to the kid with an ant farm. I just think it would be a shame if the guy got canned, and the next guy doesn't do anything differently. Maybe then we'd realize there is more going on here than meets the eye.

I hear their points and I also know that this team is hurting for a win. All these columnists who think they know how to build a football team should actually go ahead and see if they can find a job in the NFL. If they really think firing Vinny is the "answer" to the problem, I'd like for them to go ahead and become an NFL employee and try it. The stones that the columnists throw at the redskins are big ones. I wonder what they would say if the skins win out for the rest of the season and be 14-2? Would they throw boulders at the end of the season or is this going to be on a week to week basis? The questions I heard all week was how did the skins lose to detroit? Answer: its because its the NFL. I ask them the same question.... Why did the best team in football (18-0 Patriots) lose to the Giants in the superbowl? Because it's the NFL.... Every team has a chance every week to win. This is why the NFL is the best thing since sliced bread. And for all the people who are getting off the Redskins bandwagon, GET OFF the BUS!!!!! We dont want you to wear the Redskins logos anyways you half hearted, weak spirited loser! We call ourselves the best fans in the NFL?! NO WAY!!! Best Fans in football are the Cleveland Browns because they stick with the team through thick and thin. They are ALWAYS with the team, no matter what. All the redskins fans need to buck up and stop looking for stones because once the skins win it all, you'd be left to the curb with your fake spirit in your hands.

Let me make this clear....Cerrato DID NOT PICK CHRIS HORTON. Safeties coach Steve Jackson, with support from then UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, are who's responsible for Horton being there. Sean Taylor is NOT CERRATO's pick either. He, AND JOE GIBBS, really wanted Kellen Winslow. Gregg Williams, the defensive staff,and some other scouts that are no longer with the team, are the ones who made a strong, compelling case for drafting Taylor, which turned out to be the right move. Cooley was ALL GIBBS,and Carlos was the defensive staff as well. DOn't give this clown credit for those guys...he does little to NO leg work on prospects, relying more on the big board of Mel kiper, than his own scouts. he is an idiot, and the heat he is taking for the failures of Fred Davis, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Rinehart, the sorry ass punter, etc...i can tell you for certain fll on his shoulders.

Did I just read an article about Vinny Cerrato bragging about championship rings? From when? 20 years ago? Must be, because he, nor the Skins have done ANYTHING noteworthy since 92. Do you hear Belicek bragging about his rings? Which are only from like 2-3 years ago? NO, you don't. Because this is a "what have you done for me lately" league. And you have done zippy lately Vinny. Zippy. Win something. A division championship, a playoff game (I won't even say Superbowl as that is a joke). Then talk. As of now, I agree with all the hatred being heaped your way. It isn't even just the wins, it is all the bad...BAD decisions made over the past decade.

Cerrato somehow got on to good teams. BANDWAGON, spell it out. The 49ers won Superbowls in 81, 84, 88, and 89. They had just failed an attempt at a three-peat, barely loosing the conferance championship game. After 9 straight 10+ win seasons and 10 out of 11 (including the 81 superbowl season), they hire Cerrato as director of college scouting.

They did win again in 94, but with how much of his 3 draft clases? Such a stacked team and it could easily have been forgivable to not see any of his picks on the field. But he got promoted to Director of Player Personnel the following season. "In 1994, the team spent large amounts of money on the addition of several star free agents from other teams, including Ken Norton, Jr., Gary Plummer, Rickey Jackson, Richard Dent, Charles Mann and Deion Sanders." I'm quoting from Wiki(He must have a thing for Deion). It goes on to say "Additionally, several rookie players made key contributions to the team, some becoming season-long starters such as defensive tackle Bryant Young, fullback William Floyd, and linebacker Lee Woodall." Bryant Young, William Floyd and Lee Woodall? Cerrato may have influenced Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott being allowed to leave via free agency, it seems to correlate to his arrival. He might have been an advocate of Steve Young over Joe Montana. They traded Montana in 93 and in the middle of 99 season (Cerrato's last year) Young retires fearing he'll end up like Muhamed Ali. Guess Cerrato doesn't like to draft lineman. He started with their first no-playoff season in 9 years and ended with their first losing season in 17? What ever they did to win 4 superbowls in 8 years or even the 5th in 13 years early in Cerrato's stay his influence despite having "expertise" in college scouting was for the team to let go of it's best players and start spending heavily on over priced free agents (giving up draft choices in the process). Is "Corporate Axe Man" the right term? Maybe it was belated for the Redskins (as they were a power house during the same time frame as the 49ers). But Snyder comes in with Cerrato following a time of dominance, to downsize and squeeze the cupboard for all it's worth. Making a big show of trying futilely to make the team better by spending big on free agents. It's enough to make me want to read the contracts of the players. Are Cap problems real? Are they based only on incentives that will never be reached and a extremly loyal fan base? At least the $49ers owner had the decency to get in a riverboat scandal and have his brother take over. Does Snyder have a brother? How about a distant cousin?

Sally Jenkins was dead on. Sally Jenkins nailed it. We hate to tell you but the Redskins stink. They are not good. The are in fourth place in the NFC east. They will finish in fourth place in the NFC east this year and next. The Redskins do not have the personnel to compete. Someone is responsible for the three receiver draft choices that cannot play. It is Vinny Cerrato. Chad Reinhart, his cousin, cannot play. The Redskins center cannot play. Stephan Heyer cannot play. Chris Samuals is a ticking time bomb. The 100 million man will not finish the season. There is a reason Vinny, George Michael, Sonny Jergensen, Larry Michael and the rest of Dan Snyders sycophants wont take question from the public is they will get killed. This team stinks. Let me here Sonny say it. Snyder sued a grandma with outside counsel with 150000 people on the waiting list. Snyder has jacked the price of tickets to the point that average people cannot afford it. Snyder laid off 250 people the day before Christmas. He is a jerk and he knows it. Get out there Danny be like Ted Lionsis and explain why the team you put together stinks. Leave your Sycophants at home. I do not want to hear it. I cancelled my season tickets. I will not buy one more thing from the Redskins ever. Because of you. As far as you championship and super bowl rings, I got news for you, you did not win them. Wake up. Vinny is a loser and the Redskins will stink as long as he is associated. I am done with the REdskins until he is gone.

What a joker this guy is...... At some point, all of us have been on winning teams with effective leadership and yes have been key cogs in the wheel. However, at some point, each of us have to stand alone and see if we can lead. Vinny has had his shot and it has failed in mediocrity! Poor business planning mixed with poor selections on players and direction of those selections.

dimatuma:
Calm down. Sally was/is right. Does that mean that my fervor as a fan is any less than yours? NO. Just because we are critical of the team doesn't mean that we don't love the team. Most people threatening to leave the team are only doing so with idle, empty threats. They mean nothing. Why get so worked up over this? Oh and news flash, the 'Skins are not going 14-2. I'd love to be wrong there... but they aren't. The facts are pretty simple to analyze:

Who fired Norv during the middle of a season when the season was NOT lost?

Who fired Marty after the team went 8-3 in their final 11 games?

Who initiated the Spurrier experiment?

Jeff George? Deion Sanders? Bruce Smith?

The answer is Dan Snyder. My love for this team predates Dan Snyder's ownership, as does the love of most people here. We saw what this team was and could be. She was the prom queen, captain of the cheerleading squad, with a 3.8 gpa and an hourglass figure and a beautiful singing voice. We developed our love then. Now at the 10 year class reunion, that same girl is balding with needle marks in her arm, her years of smoking and tequila have led to a voice that sounds like nails against blackboards. In addition, she now carries a good 350+ on her 5 ft 4 frame and has forsaken hygeine, showing contempt for soap and refusing to cut her "Jesus beard." This doesn't even count the 9 kids she has had since then.

What I am saying is that the franchise has changed. It isn't the same one we fell for, nor do I think it will ever get back there. But with some help it can become attractive again. It just needs to admit that it has problems.

Good blog, Dan. The royalty can deny the truth all it wants, but reality is reality, and reality will catch up to Danny Snyder and company. Unless things change, their fan base will erode. I gave up my tickets two years ago, and back away from my loyalty to the team this year - for the first time, when all the great off season announcements were made, I simply walked away, convinced the team would be no good. Last point: I'm glad something finally was written about Michael. He seriously makes my skin crawl. I come across him on TV, and turn it off; and I could never listen to his broadcasts.

We only have to look at how our Management does with personnel choices as compared to benchmarks in the same industry. Everyone in the NFL faces injuries, salary caps, and decisions about net worth of players, but for some reason, the Redskins' management is paying more and getting less productivity. When viewed from that prism, such a comment isn't personal - its objective. If the issue is coaching, then management must decide an appropriate action plan and execute it with the coaches to increase coaching effectiveness. If there are obvious issues with personnel like the Offensive line, then choosing to do the minimum to get by will unlikely produce maximum results. And if the issue with the offensive line persists into a second season, then management must accept blame for allowing the problem to fester - whether it was their direct action that allowed it to happen or a delegated one that has shown poor judgment on lower levels.

There is a reason why the Redskins are one of the most inconsistent teams in the sport. And while Snyder is more like all of the years of Redskins without Jack Kent Cooke owning the team, that doesn't make Snyder ownership acceptable in its performance. For to do so would be to acknowledge that the Redskins are truly meant to be mediocre and save for a brief period in its history has it reached and aimed high and produced. If Snyder is content with being a mediocre owner, then he has the team that satisfies his wishes most closely this year. If, on the other hand he truly wants world class, then nothing short of a total makeover of management, coaching, and personnel will achieve that. The experiment of running a team like a fantasy one is over and it has failed. It is time to accept that being a big boy in the NFL means more than dapper suits and big boy ties. It means "manning up" to failure and accepting nothing less than the best and then demanding and holding people accountable.

If Snyder needs on-the-job-training after a decade of ownership, perhaps he could study the Indianapolis Colts, the New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers on how to achieve success in the league. It would take a big man to do this, so it would also require someone to step up his own game.

Sally Jenkins hit the nail on the head. Michael Wilbon earlier ditto. The real diehards can keep posting their what ifs. The only what if that will make any difference is what if Snyder lets Cerrato go.
I recall and posted right after Cerrato was promoted that a writer from the other daily contacted an executive from another divsion team who according to the writer fell on the floor laughing when told that Cerrato had been promoted to run the football operations.

I also posted the team did not have real talent to compete and would be lucky to finish 6-10 or 5-11. I now think after three games and the apparent inner turmoil going on in the organization, this team will be lucky to win 4 games. Then guess what, all the coaches get fired and the QB whom they have invested four years in leaves. Really smart management from the top.

This reminds me of the great film from the '50's starring Kirk Douglas which was based on a real life event. The time WW1. The French troops are ordered to take a German position by the general command. It's a horrible mistake as the French are cut to pieces by the Germans. Many get blown back into their trenches. The general who ordered the attack has the company commanders pick out three soldiers to be tried for treason and cowardice. After a joke of a military trial, they are found guilty and shot by a firing squad.

Way to go Snyder , fire the coaches and let the QB go. It's their fault.

dimatuma:
Calm down. Sally was/is right. Does that mean that my fervor as a fan is any less than yours? NO. Just because we are critical of the team doesn't mean that we don't love the team. Most people threatening to leave the team are only doing so with idle, empty threats. They mean nothing. Why get so worked up over this? Oh and news flash, the 'Skins are not going 14-2. I'd love to be wrong there... but they aren't. The facts are pretty simple to analyze:

Who fired Norv during the middle of a season when the season was NOT lost?

Who fired Marty after the team went 8-3 in their final 11 games?

Who initiated the Spurrier experiment?

Jeff George? Deion Sanders? Bruce Smith?

The answer is Dan Snyder. My love for this team predates Dan Snyder's ownership, as does the love of most people here. We saw what this team was and could be. She was the prom queen, captain of the cheerleading squad, with a 3.8 gpa and an hourglass figure and a beautiful singing voice. We developed our love then. Now at the 10 year class reunion, that same girl is balding with needle marks in her arm, her years of smoking and tequila have led to a voice that sounds like nails against blackboards. In addition, she now carries a good 350+ on her 5 ft 4 frame and has forsaken hygeine, showing contempt for soap and refusing to cut her "Jesus beard." This doesn't even count the 9 kids she has had since then.

What I am saying is that the franchise has changed. It isn't the same one we fell for, nor do I think it will ever get back there. But with some help it can become attractive again. It just needs to admit that it has problems.

Posted by: moosepod | October 3, 2009 12:05 PM | Report abuse

EPIC...my nominee for POM (Post of the Month) so far...I'm going to repost on RI. Well said moose. I'll still support this team - heck, I'm going to the game tomorrow - but fans, TRUE fans, need to start voicing their displeasure with owenrship rather loudly. We'll see how the next few weeks pan out, but I'm thinking it's time to get organized and send Danny a message. Stay tuned.

like dungy said, you build a team from within and establish pride and motivation, the redskins give minimum contracts to the guys that have been here while paying players from other teams crazy money to come here and underproduce. this kills team spirit and motivation to give everything for hopes of minimum compensation.

Sally should write another article and call out Vinny and Danny Boy again. And Larry Michael has got shut up or wake-up!! I've been a loyal Skins fan for all my life. I make the trip from New York to Fedex field every home game. And its getting harder and harder to do so. The truth is that this team hasn't showed any heart since Taylor died and Gibbs retired. Danny and Vinny hired Zorn who was a QB coach for about 7 years. Not a coordinator, not a assistant head coach, but a QB coach. Up in NYC i'm always under fire.. but its very hard to defend this team after Detroit!

I wonder how much hardware has vinny collected since he's been in a decision making capacity? Could he email me the pictures of those rings and trophies? Because to my knowledge, and perhaps I'm simply uninformed, but it's my understanding that he's been in a decision making position for about ... 10 years. Actually nine, since he left during the Marty year. How many rings is that vinny?

Anybody that watched the program last Thursday has got hurl at the early part of the show. I work as editor here in VA, and this is one of the most horrendous, biased conversation I have ever seen. I thought they were going to start making out. Larry Michaels is a disgrace to broadcasting, a media that doesn't have the cahones to report, as a journalist you have to show some balance on any given piece and this clearly shows none of any aspect of well sound journalism.

Sally Jenkins wrote one of the most honest, insightful, and hard-nosed facts about this organization that has started during the Snyder regime. By no means was she out of cotext in any way. Look closely at the Redskins team from 1999-2009, nothing has changed except for the ridiculous amount of money spent on players who haven't anything to contribute to this team, with the exception of Fletcher.

LARRY AND VINNY NEED TO JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO YOUR SHOWS AND CAN YOU A PIECE OF MY MIND ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER FANS.

bottom line: enough is enough, watching the show makes me want to just hurl 100 times. Redskins nation show is an embrassment for any Redskins fans. Geez

The fact is that Dan Snyder is making these picks, not Vinnie. Marty Schottenheimer is no longer around because he dared to actually have a mind of his own.
Larry Michael is nothing more than a Snyder floosie who is paid to project positive comments about the team and owner. Snyder has always been concerned about the way in which he is portrayed in the media which is why he has purchased all of these radio stations to control the outflow of information. It is the very same reason why he cut the number of gameday tickets allotted to the Washington Post some 5 years ago because he was upset with their coverage of the team.
Having Cerrato around allows him to do whatever he wants regarding personnel without opposition from a far more qualified person. Hanging around with snyder guarantees Cerrato a nice payday and I'm sure very nice gifts.
They're all (Cerrato, Michael etc.) just sellouts who have no pride in themselves.

i think it's become clear to all redskins fans that know football that Larry is one of the worst play by play guys in the nfl. not a single fan should ever take anything he says serious and he never provides intelligent insight into the team. it angers me that someone like him even has the job that he does. does anyone here have his email address? i know he reads emails during redskins nation but i couldn't find anything on comcast's website and i don't watch the show so i don't know if they give it out during the show. i'd really like to share my opinion on his job performance. what a joke. it's amazing how many people hired by the current front office that are oblivious to the real world.

Really mohawk44? Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since Clinton was president. Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are clones who deserve each other as arch rivals. Sally Jenkins is right but it also applies to Jerry Jones and his face-lift. Some Dallas fans were even alive when they last won a playoff game.

Two horrible organizations that won't be competing for the Super Bowl anytime soon. At least 'Skins fans recognize the owner is part of the problem.

Got news for Vinny Sally was here before he was. She was with the Post in late '80s leaving in 1990. As for his rings what the heck did he do to get them and how dust covered are they? What happened to the Niners as Vinny climbed the ladder?

Michael knows where his check comes from and will continue to kiss up to keep it.

Obviously, we are all fed up with the Ownership and Management of this team. Unabashed asskissers like Larry Michael further reinforce the very sad fact that we as Redskin's fans are doomed to this mediocre to downright bad brand of foodball for years to come. Michael lives in a dream world only a few inhabit around our town. sally Jenkins was absolutely correct in her comments and even those that that live in the Snyder/Cerratto dysfunctional world of thinking you can actually build a winner without a STRONG GENERAL MANAGER AND COACHES, know this simple, proven and commom sense fact.
Dan Snyder has ruined a once proud franchise that not even the return of Joe Gibbs could save. This season was over before it even started. Try hard as I do to follow the Ravens, I just can't do it. I will watch this train crash once again and hope That Dan Snyder will sell this team to a good Owner one day. Until then, see you at 6-10

It's not personal. We want the Redskins to win. That's all, pure and simple. I'm sure Vinny is a fine man, ditto for Larry Michael. Larry is however paid by the Redskins, so he needs to acknowledge his bias towards the team. It's OK, just don't try to be impartial when your checks say Redskins. Same with Vinny. The proof is in the record, and the record doesn't hold up well. It's not about the Post either, it's about the fans. If Vinny and Larry are so thin skinned, they should look for work in a less visible role. The bottom line, we all want the Redskins to succeed. Dan Snyder and Vinny do not have us heading in the right direction to win games, just increase revenue.

You are correct. The Redskins Nation emails read on TV are from friends and family, and even those are pre-screened by Mr. Michael before being used. That's OK though, it's their TV infomercial so they can put on what they want. The other Larry is almost as bad BTW, but at least he used to be a sports journalist.

Geez, I'm not a Sally Jenkin's fan by any stretch, but geez guys, focus on football not on criticism. If the Redskins want to refocus the press and the fans, they need to win. Bottom line. Win. The non-sense about Cowboys fans is pathetic non-sense. I hate the Cowboys...I've lived here my whole life 30+ years, but the Cowboys have the same kind of problems we've got. I personally have feared the Giants a lot more than the Cowboys for the past 10 years. Here's the funny thing about Cowboys undermining the Redskins...honestly I don't think anybody (Cowboys fans included) really cares about the Redskins other than Redskins fans. The fact is that the Redskins instill fear in NO ONE!

I spent 15 years as a broadcaster in television news and could point Danny to a plethora of people who would ALL be an improvement on Larry Michael. The man is a spineless idiot and an embarrassment... as is Larry Michael.

Wow, Cerrato and Larry Michael sure are obsessed with Sally Jenkins' place of residence. Classic diversionary tactic. Don't address her comments, just talk about where she lives. Firing Cerrato won't make any difference, because Snyder is the real GM.

Oh and to anyone who says "I'd like to see (insert name here) run a team," I have to say this: They don't get paid to do it. Sally Jenkins gets paid to report and write about sports. She is doing her job, and, whether or not you are a fan, you may recognize that she did it well in this piece. It is Vinny's job to build a winner. Sally is supposed to be objective and supposed to criticize. She did her job. It's your turn Vinny.

And I wish the guy would stop about his superbowl rings. His revisionist history about the 49ers is only possible because Walsh is dead. When Walsh was alive, Vinnie never mentioned those superbowls. He was more like the retarded kid who hangs around with the other kids and gets a handout because everybody is trying to be nice.

He really is not the *problem* with the team, he is more like the symptom of what is wrong with the team. Sort of like a carbuncle.

To question Vinny Cerrato's ability or qualifications, we need to understand the man and his circumstances. Cerrato is trapped in a zero sum game of his own making. He is unemployable outside of DC and he knows it.

It is an irrefutable fact in front offices across the league that he is abhored on a personal level. Irrespective of how many rounds he buys at the bar of the St Regis Resort, ppl simply don't like him. This attitude would be welcomed were it born of jealousy, if Cerrato worked rivals to the Skins' advantage, had he an eye for talent and a knack for just the right free agent. Sadly for us, he is a pidgeon. A mark to be glad handed and taken advantage of in personnel decisions. This lack of professional respect is reflected in Cerrato not serving on one league committee, nor does his name appear on any lists when teams consider making a GM hire.

Cerrato is a window teller at The Bank of Snyder who lacks the EQ to grasp the degree to which he is genuinely despised by his peers. Unfortunately for Skins fans, he does possess the requisite IQ and sense of self preservation to know that if he wants to make a living in the NFL, his only option is Snyder. Cerrato like 99% of us, has a price where principle takes a back seat to $ and in the case of Cerrato its big $ and a 'dream job'. So he plays the public face of Snyder's petulant child, cashes his checks and in turn surrounds himself with sychophants like Michaels who himself is trapped in this Machiavellian circle of $ for warped loyalty, defined by mindlessly reading Snyder's cue cards and attacking perceived 'infiltrators'.

The perversity of Cerrato's tenure in DC is manifested in the Skins being a hardship post in league personnel circles. This is a particularly dispiriting phenomena considering Snyder's willingness to cut checks. Snyder's myopia and perverted sense of football IQ is a non starter for qualified coaches and front office leadership. Until Snyder either changes his outlook on running the franchise or an event takes place that brings in new ownership, the fans in DC, loyal as they are to the ghost of a proud franchise, will live by the capricious hand of the Synder regime.

Are these guys out of their mind? First of all, Snyder (who the article was ACTUALLY about) DENIED Jenkins' interview request. As for the one line about Cerrato being a proven failure, and his "rings", here are his credentials, according to Wikipedia:

He won a national championship as football recruiting coordinator.

He won a Superbowl with the 49ers as director of college scouting, helping draft players like Ted Washington, Ricky Watters, Dana Stubblefield, and Bryant Young. Great! After he was promoted to Directory of Player Personnel, the Niners began to slide.

With the Redskins, he was responsible for bringing in guys like Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Irving Fryar, etc. That whole time, they've been mediocre. Calling him a proven failure MIGHT be a tad harsh, but he's not more than a couple steps above that.